Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Self-focused attention and personality validation

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Previous research has shown that self-focused attention increases resistance to incorrect experimental suggestion about internal bodily states. The generality of this finding was tested in the present experiment for judgements which require more extensive external validation. It was found that false personality feedback was judged as significantly less accurate than genuine feedback under mirror selffocused conditions but not in the absence of a mirror. Explanations in terms of facial feedback, task involvement, social desirability, and self-serving reactions were discussed but these did not adequately account for the data. The results extend previous findings by showing that even where subjects do not have direct access to internal cues, private self-awareness enhances the validity of self-perceptions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Buss, A. H. (1980). Self-Consciousness and Social Anxiety. San Francisco: Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver, C.S. (1979). A cybernetic model of self-attention processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 1251–1281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carver, C.S. de Scheier, M.F. (1978). Self-focusing effects of dispositional selfconsciousness, mirror presence, and audience presence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 324–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cattell, R.B., Eber, H. W. & Tatsuoka, M.M. (1970). Handbook for the Sixteen Personality Factor Questlonnaire. Champaign, IL: IPAT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, D. & Brock, T.C. (1975). Use of first-person pronouns as a function of increased objective self-awareness and performance feedback. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 11, 381–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duval, S. (1976). Conformity on a visual task as a function of personal novelty on attitudinal dimensions and being reminded of the object status of self. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 12, 87–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duval, S. & Wicklund, R.A. (1972). A Theory of Objective Self-Awareness. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenigstein, A., Scheier, M.F. & Buss, A.H. (1975). Public and private selfconsciousness: assessm ent and theory. Journal of Consul ting and Clinical Psychology, 43, 522–527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geller, V. &: Shaver, P. (1976). Cogniti ve consequences of self-awareness. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 12, 99–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons, F.X., Carver, C.S., Scheier, M.F. & Hormuth, S.E. (1979). Self-focused attention and the placebo effect: fooling some of the people some of the time. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 15, 263–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwald, A.G. (1980). The totalitarian ego: fabrication and revision of personal history. American Psychologist, 35, 603–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pryor, J.B., Gibbons, F.X., Wicklund, R.A., Fazio, R.H. &: Hood, R. (1977). Selffocused attention and self-report validity. Journal of Personality, 4–5, 513–527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schachter, S. & Singer, J. (1962). Cognitive, social, and physiological determinants of emotional state. Psychological Review, 69, 379–399.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M.F. &: Carver, C.S. (1977). Self-focused attention and the experience of emotion: attraction, repulsion, elation, and depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 625–636.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M.F. & Carver, C.S. (1981). Private and public aspects of self. In L. Wheeler (ed.), Review of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 2. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M.F., Carver, C.S. & Gibbons, F.X. (1979). Self-directed attention, awareness of bodily states, and suggestibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 1576–1588.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, C.R., Shenkel, R.J. & Lowery, C.R. (1977). Acceptance of personality interpretations: the ‘Barnum effect’ and beyond. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 104–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wicklund, R.A. (1975). Objective self-awareness. In L. Berkowitz (ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 8. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wicklund, R.A. &: Duval, S. (1971). Opinion change and performance facilitation as a result of objective self-awareness. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 7, 319–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths' College, New Cross, SE14 6NW, London

    Martin F. Davies

Authors
  1. Martin F. Davies
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Davies, M.F. Self-focused attention and personality validation. Current Psychological Research 2, 87–93 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03186748

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03186748

Keywords

Search

Navigation